How does the lokal-o-mat works?
The lokal-o-mat works similar to the Wahl-O-Mat, but is an informational tool for local government elections. Like in the Wahl-O-Mat, the lokal-o-mat user can mark his position on 30 thesis and then compare his positions to those of the competing parties and voters’ associations.
In 2014 the lokal-o-mat was launched with two pilot projects in Ahlen/Westfalen and Düsseldorf. Since then, additional versions have been initiated.
Preparations for upcoming elections
The local-o-mat is currently being revised and prepared for new applications. Further information will follow here at a later date. Until then, you can view the results of previous projects below.
Presentation of results (in German)
What data were collected and how?
Similar to the Wahl-O-Mat research, the lokal-o-mat includes an exit survey with the following questions amongst others:
- What is known about the user (Age, gender, level of education, political interest)?
- How did the users find out about the lokal-o-mat?
- What are the reasons for using the lokal-o-mat?
- Do the lokal-o-mat results match the users’ party preferences?
- Which effect does the use of the lokal-o-mat have?
When leaving the lokal-o-mat site, a pop-up window invited the users to participate in an on-site survey. Not each single user was asked, but only a random sample (every fourth, sixth, tenth).